Police tighten security around Sy-Lato gunman

Police have tightened their watch over one of the gunmen in the fatal shooting of Filipino-Chinese businessman David Sy-Lato, fearing that he might be "silenced."

According to police ,wounded suspect Decoroso Pamesa, 36, said to be a former member of the Philippine Army, had allegedly received threats that he and his entire family will be "silenced."

"His wife is scared. Those sent to get him are former military members like him, and they live in the same area in Bicutan, Taguig," a case investigator said.

Police said at least eight other suspects could have accompanied Pamesa in shooting down Sy-Lato, also reportedly a confidential agent of the National Bureau of Investigation. Police said three of the suspects acted as the gunmen while the others served as lookouts.

Pamesa is now confined under tight police guard at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center.

Meanwhile, investigators said Sy-Lato had been receiving death threats on his cell phone days before he was shot dead.

Investigation showed Sy-Lato was ambushed as he was walking from his house at 704 Gedisco Mansion, 447 Elcano St., Binondo, to an I-Bank branch when he was ambushed at about 2 p.m. last Wednesday. Though sustaining three bullet wounds, Sy-Lato, president of a local shooting club, managed to fire back with a caliber .45 pistol. He managed to wound Pamesa in the leg and body. A bystander, Roque Dizon, was hit by a stray bullet during the shooting and is now confined at the Metropolitan Hospital. The two other gunmen who are now the subjects of a manhunt fled the scene aboard a motorcycle going to Delpan St., police said.

Police said the suspects initially "cased" the victim and established his daily routine of going to the I-Bank Binondo branch from his house before conducting the hit.

Police hinted Chinese gangsters could be behind Sy-Lato’s death after he allegedly served as an "agent" of the Philippine National Police-Narcotics Group which raided a shabu laboratory in San Juan earlier this month.

Police said Sy-Lato, who was also a foreign exchange trader, was allegedly tasked by his handlers to double check with the Binondo Central Bank the flow of cash of the Chinese gangsters involved in the manufacturing and trafficking of shabu.